Greek Inscribed Bone Plaque

Piriform body with splayed foot and narrow handles; the neck with slender lotus blossoms and palmettes, Side A) two opposing roosters with a lotus blossom in between, two standing swans flanking, below a youth on horseback holding the reins of a trotting horse, a man and a woman behind the horse; Side B) a grazing deer before an advancing panther looking back, two opposing sphinxes below with their heads turned back and front paws raised. 1.06 kg, 28 cm



Ex Münzen und Medaillen A.G., H. Cahn, Basel, 13 April 1985. Private collection, Bern, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12643-236366.

An important work by the leading master of the 'Chalcidian' workshop, which, despite the name, is not to be located in Chalkis itself but rather in a Chalcidian colony in Magna Graecia (possibly Rhegion). Within the oeuvre of Phineus, who is known for his neck-amphorae, examples with two image zones are very rare—see, for example, the fragmentary amphora in the Faina Collection in Orvieto, with similar sphinxes.

Discoid and convex with concentric rings to the upper face, knop handle with central recess. 34.6 grams, 77 mm



From the private collection of Mr Brian Edwards, New Malden, Surrey, UK, formed from the late 1970s-early 1980s; thence by descent.

Piriform body with narrow neck and flaring rim with a small loop handle below, decorated with radiating strokes below the neck, followed by eight rows of dot decoration flaked by red and black circumferential bands. 88 grams, 11.1 cm



From the collection of the late Sir Clinton Charles Donald Cory, 5th Baronet of Coryton. Ex Philip Auction House, 24 September 1985. Accompanied by two previous information cards.